A liquid crystal polymer prepared by using a polymerizable liquid crystal composition as a raw material can be utilized in a display device having a film or a device consisting of an optically anisotropic film such as a phase difference film, an optical compensation film, a reflection film, a selective reflection film, an antireflection film, a viewing angle compensation film, a liquid crystal alignment film, a polarizing device, a circularly polarizing device and an elliptically polarizing device.
For example, the phase difference film is used for displaying an image with high quality in a liquid crystal display device. A liquid crystal polymer formed by curing the polymerizable liquid crystal composition exhibits birefringence, and therefore can be used as the phase difference film. A stretched polymer film exhibiting birefringence has been so far used as the phase difference film. A study has been conducted on applying the liquid crystal polymer as the phase difference film for the purpose of ease of film formation, achievement of thin film in a film thickness and improvement of durability.
In the phase difference film formed of the liquid crystal polymer, an attempt has been made on immobilizing alignment in a state of a smectic phase for improving front contrast (Patent literature No. 1).